Legerdepied
by crimsonkiwi
Summary: Over winter break, a few mutants are staying back at the Brotherhood house. Shenanigans ensue. Parties are crashed. Living rooms are trashed. Etc. [See end of chapter one for title explanation. Based in Evolution universe under pretense that Rogue remained with the Brotherhood for a while longer.]


After joining the Brotherhood a few months back, Rogue found herself without a home to return to over winter break. She was surprised to find that most Magneto's other mutants had plans over the holidays: Pyro was flying back to Australia, Toad and Blob were going on a ski trip, and Lance was going with them to keep the slopes clear of other skiers. Sabertooth had disappeared as he usually did between missions, and that left Pietro, Wanda, Remy, and Rogue.

With two weeks off from school, Rogue had too much time to spend lounging around the less-than-kempt house. She tried tidying up a few things, but her efforts were countered anytime Pietro ran through a room or Wanda discovered someone had forgotten to buy more milk. Sitting around a boring house with spotty satellite reception was so mind-numbing that all of its interim inhabitants jumped on the chance for fun when it came.

This chance came in the form of a whirlwind of flyers whipping through the front door. Pietro was holding one of the flyers when he ended the paper trail between the couch and television. Wanda was sleeping on one end, reclined, while Rogue rested her head on the opposite armrest, barely staying awake to see the conclusion of the fourth consecutive showing of "A Christmas Story."

"Good news, potato people," Pietro speedily announced upon entering the room.

"Pietro, we're watchin' that," Rogue said drowsily.

"Pretty sure you know how it ends at this point," Wanda said without opening her eyes.

Pietro clapped his hands several times in front of her face. She reacted with her customary "I am not afraid to collapse this roof on you again" death stare that was reserved only for her brother. Unusually unphased by his sister's glare, Pietro continued.

"Open party tonight at a club downtown. Found these flyers all over the Institute Driveway," he said, passing out a flyer each to Rogue and Wanda.

Rogue bristled at the mention of her recent home, sitting up to examine the flyer.

"You went to the Institute?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Just thought I'd drop off a holiday gift basket for our archnemeses," Pietro responded.

"They're Father's obsession. Not mine," Wanda said, snatching the flyer from Pietro. She focused on each word as if she were trying to burn its letters clean through the paper.

"The Professor ain't a threat to us," Rogue agreed, her voice more steady. "Why were you at the Institute, Pietro?" Her question was more an accusation than an inquiry.

"Professor X's mutant mansion is a quick left off my morning run route. Just before you accuse me of sabotaging your friends' Hannukah with one of Toad's leftover stinkbombs."

"Pietro, wontcha please stop comin' in speedin'? Leaves tracks all over the floor."

Gambit, now known to Rogue as Remy, appeared at the front of the room. He casually leaned against the side of the doorway farther from the couch.

"I ain't takin' the heat for the sorry state this house's in once Mystique's back." He crossed the room as he spoke, standing in front of the couch facing Pietro. Remy shuffled a deck of cards hypnotically with one hand, which he likely found as stimulating as Rogue found Christmas reruns. He was wearing the same wrinkled black shirt he'd had on the day before and gray sweatpants which seemed to have become the universal Brotherhood uniform: Rogue and Wanda were both in similar outfits.

Pietro stood up, now face to face with Remy.

"Good thing she didn't leave you in charge then, Ace," Pietro snarked.

"Actually, your card's the jack of clubs," Remy slipped a glowing card into Pietro's hand.

"Nngaahhhh! No fireworks in the house!" Pietro yelled as he sped back out the front door. Rogue heard a faint crack and guessed he had taken the card as far away from the house as possible before it blew the living room walls to rubble. As cocky as he acted, Pietro knew who was really the boss.

"What'd the Tasmanian Devil blow in in his tornado?"

Rogue handed Remy a flyer as he took Pietro's seat in the middle of the couch. He put an arm atop the segment Rogue sat on as he leaned back to read.

"Pietro wants to go to some public party," Wanda said, rolling her eyes as she left for the kitchen.

"Well, you don't say." Remy's eyes glinted as the corner of his lips turned up and his eyebrow rose in a mischievous smirk.

"It's at a club uptown," Rogue said, her voice falling as she continued. "The Professor probably got invites just for livin' in that mansion."

"The Professor?" Remy's smirk broke.

Rogue nodded. "Pietro found the invites in his driveway."

"Might be nice," Remy smiled as he spoke. "Peaceful chatter, for once, 'stead of smack talk."

"In school we learned about these armies that used to break for tea in the middle of a battle," Rogue said. Remy laughed.

"Really, I swear!" Her voice cracked on the last word. "Another called a truce on Christmas and had a soccer game before fightin' again the next day."

"We can have ourselves a Christmas truce then," Remy said. "But I much prefer dancin' to soccer."

Author's Note: hey hey thanks for reading. Please review if you have thoughts!

Brief note on the title, _Legerdepied_: I kind of made it up based on the French-to-English word "legerdemain." It means sleight of hand, which relates to Gambit's skill with cards and such. Since the whole concept is a party with dancing and such, I just substituted the French word for "feet" (_pied)_ in the place of "hand" (_main_). Anywho, I hope that clarifies it. It's pronounced something like leh-ZHAY-de-pi-AY. I guess there's some nice sonority in assonance within that. Huh.


End file.
